Hurlers salvage a draw but relegation still stalks them

Inside Track with John McIntyre

IT’S not where the Galway hurlers expected or wanted to be after the completion of the National League group stages, but the Tribesmen will simply have to dust themselves down for their upcoming relegation play-off against struggling Cork. That’s the legacy of failing to win only one game in Division 1A under the county’s new management regime.

Ironically, that sole victory came in the opening round of the campaign in early February when the hosted the Rebels at Pearse Stadium. It was a largely open and free-flowing encounter with Galway eventually carrying the day by a comfortable margin. Neither team, however, has won since with Cork imploding altogether, particularly in heavy away defeats to both Dublin and Tipperary.

Apart from their tame loss to Dublin at Parnell Park, at least Galway have been competitive in their other matches even if another victory was to prove elusive. They have been typically inconsistent, falling well behind against both Kilkenny and Tipperary only to admirably rally in those games. They came from eight points behind to close the deficit to one at Nowlan Park before the Cats put on a late spurt to close the deal, while it took an injury time score from John O’Dwyer to deny them success when hosting Tipp.

Galway’s spirit was again underlined at Walsh Park last Sunday. It’s a difficult venue to get a result in for visiting teams, notwithstanding Dublin’s surprise win there the previous Sunday, and when Micheal Donoghue’s charges fell three points behind on several occasions in the second-half, the odds were strongly in favour of a Waterford victory, despite the fact they had experimented somewhat for the fixture.

With seven minutes remaining, Michael Kearney’s second point of the half had left Waterford 0-23 to 1-17 ahead, but Galway didn’t blink with Cathal Mannion bursting into life to raise two white flags and substitute Conor Whelan and team captain David Burke, who thrived when moved to midfield, also hitting the target to put them one in front at a critical juncture of the contest. It would have been a tremendous fillip if they had managed to hold on, but a quality long range effort from Gavin O’Brien ensured deadlock at the death.

Even if Galway had returned home with the two points, the result would not have saved them from the relegation dogfight due to an inferior scoring difference to Tipperary, but given the number of players who are unavailable for one reason or another, it’s far from a disastrous campaign and victory over Cork at Pearse Stadium on Sunday week will ensure they remain in the top flight of league hurling next year.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.